(201) Magazine Blogs

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

It’s such a cliche but the start tonight is going to be hugely important in the outcome of Game 6 of this Eastern Conference first round series between the Rangers and Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center - and whether the Rangers advance to face the Penguins or the Flyers force Game 7 Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Both teams spoke this morning as scoring the first goal being essential.

In addition to that, the Flyers want to be more physical in the first period than they have off the start of the first five games.

“Definitely,” Flyers coach Craig Berube said. “I think in this series so far our first periods have not been great. I don’t think that we initiated enough in the first period yet and we need to.”

The Flyers are 7-10 in franchise history in Game 6s when trailing three games to two. The Rangers, who have lost 11 straight postseason games when leading a series, have won 13 of 15 best-of-seven series they’ve led 3-2.

Overall, the Rangers are 10-5 in franchise history in Game 6s when they’ve led 3-2, including a 4-4 road record.

And, as mentioned multiple times, the Rangers have not won a series in fewer than seven games since the first round of the 2008 playoffs.

“You know the longer a series goes, the more of a toll it is on you physically,” defenseman Marc Staal said. “So, the goal is to get done as quickly as you can. For us, closing it out is important and not having to come back home and play in a Game 7 is key.

“I think our starts have been pretty solid all series long,” Staal added. “I think our start’s going to be key again tonight. It’s in their building. It’s going to be loud. They’re going to be ready to go. We need to be smart, be patient and capitalize on opportunities when they’re there. It’s going to be important. Getting a lead here is big and we’re going to try to get out there and do that.”

Keys to Game 6:

1. Seal the deal: The Rangers’ playoff objective is obviously greater than just advancing past the first round. So ending this series at their first opportunity would save some wear and tear for the next round and be beneficial toward a longer postseason run. Then again, the Rangers haven’t won a playoff series in fewer than seven games since the first round of 2008. That’s one reason the franchise’s most recent Stanley Cup drought will be 20 years if there’s no parade down the Canyon of Heroes in 2014.

2. Shoot the puck: The Rangers’ power play is now 3 for 23 in the series with no goals the past three games. That included an 0-for-3 performance with just two man-advantage shots in their 4-2 win in Sunday’s Game 5. The issue, for the most part, is execution in gaining the zone, keeping the puck in the zone and finding the correct shooting lanes. Two shots are just not satisfactory. The Rangers need to give themselves a chance to bang in rebounds.

3. Come out quickly: The Rangers have scored the first goal in all but Game 1 of this series. Two things are almost certain with the Flyers on the brink of elimination: They will start Game 6 like a team possessed, skating hard and looking to hit anything on skates and the Wells Fargo Center crowd will be even more raucous than Games 3 and 4, when it was at a fever pitch at puck drop. The Rangers must match the Flyers’ early intensity and quiet the crowd.

For the Rangers, Brian Boyle comes in with a three-game point streak and Dominic Moore has goals in the last two games. Flyers defenseman Mark Streit also has a three-game point streak.

And, in the if-you’re-looking-for-an-omen-category, on this date in 1971, Peter Stemkowski scored at 1:29 of the third overtime as the Rangers beat the Blackhawks, 3-2, in Game 6 of that series. Of course, the Blackhawks went on to win Game 7 so the circumstances are not necessarily all that aligned for omens.

The NHL on Wednesday will announce its three finalists for the Bill Masterton Trophy, awarded annually to the player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Dominic Moore was previously announced as the Rangers’ nominee for the award, as voted upon by the New York Rangers’ chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association, and it would be somewhat of a shock if he was not among the three league-wide finalists for the award.

Moore, 33, has been a strong contributor to the Rangers as the fourth line center with six goals and 12 assists in 73 regular-season games and two goals and an assist in the first five games of the Rangers Eastern Conference first-round series against the Flyers, with the Rangers leading 3-2 heading into tonight’s Game 6 at the Wells Fargo Center.

Moore resumed his career this season with the Rangers after not playing last season following the passing of his wife, Katie, from a rare form of liver cancer. Moore left the Sharks during the 2012 playoffs in order to care for his ailing wife.

“Yeah,” Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said when asked if he’d be surprised if Moore wasn’t a finalist. “I don’t know what everyone’s story is that’s been nominated but I know what he’s gone through. Obviously, it’s not an easy thing. I have no idea what that would be like to come back from and still be such a positive influence on the team and room. He’s been invaluable to us.”

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The NBA acted swiftly today in banning Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling for life and fining him the maximum $2.5 million for racist, hateful comments captured on audio tape. In announcing the stiff penalties, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also said he would also move the league toward forcing Sterling to sell the franchise.

Rarely-quoted Knicks owner James Dolan, who, of course, also owns the Rangers, released a statement in support of Silver’s swift action.

“I have been in touch with the NBA and fully support Commissioner Silver’s decision,” Dolan said. “I applaud Adam for acting quickly and decisively in appropriately addressing these disgusting and offensive comments. This kind of behavior has no place in basketball, or anywhere else, and we as a league must stand together in condemning this ignorance.”
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Benoit Pouliot, he of the newly-cropped hairstyle that makes him look about 10 years younger, was asked whether the Rangers can play looser in tonight’s Game 6 against the Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center knowing, if they lose, they still have a Game 7 Wednesday night back at Madison Square Garden.

“I think it’s the other way around,” Pouliot said. “We don’t want to go back home. Our start is going to be critical.”

The Rangers and Flyers faceoff at 7:30 (or thereabouts) tonight with the Rangers holding a 3-2 series edge thanks to a 4-2 win in Sunday’s Game 5 at the Garden. By now, you know all the stats - the Rangers have lost 11 straight postseason games while holding a series edge and they have not won a series in less than seven games since the first round of the 2008 playoffs, when they eliminated the Devils in five games.

It was a full morning skate for the Rangers with all healthy players on the ice. Chris Kreider, still out indefinitely as he recovers from surgery to his left hand, was not on the ice with his teammates.

By Game 6 of a series, especially one between divisional rivals, there are no secrets left. Coach Alain Vigneault said he would not reveal his lineup and both J.T. Miller and Dan Carcillo came off the ice at approximately the same time. But Miller should remain in the lineup after making his NHL playoff debut on Sunday.

Vigneault did not reveal any lines during the team’s morning skate.

Flyers coach Craig Berube said Erik Gustafsson would be in the lineup tonight, taking veteran Hal Gill’s spot. The Flyers are still without Nicklas Grossmann (right knee), injured in Game 5.

Both Berube and Vigneault used different phrases to describe how close the teams were - Berube said “they’re two equal teams, in my opinion,” while Vigneault said, “there’s nothing separating the teams.”

As Pouliot mentioned, the Flyers will almost certainly come out like a team possessed tonight in front of a raucous home crowd.

“You have to expect them to come a lot harder and put their absolute best out there,” goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. “I’ve been expecting that every game, for them to come pretty hard and be around the net. They’re pretty good at getting to pucks and deflecting pucks and being there but I think we’ve been doing a pretty job as well defensively to get to rebounds and play them hard.

“It’s a combination for the defensemen to try to help me to try to push the guys to the side, but also for me to be very active to fight through screens and when you don’t see it just to give up and rely on your size,” Lundqvist added. “So, you really have to move around and still try in be in good position. All the teams try to do it, try to get in front and try to take the ice away from the goalie, so it’s teammate for me and the defensemen to make sure I see as many shots as possible.”
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About

ANDREW GROSS covers the New York Rangers for The Record and Herald News, having joined the North Jersey Media Group in November 2007. Gross also covered the Rangers and New York Jets, as well as St. John’s basketball and Army football, for Gannett Newspapers and The Journal News (N.Y.). He graduated from Syracuse University in 1989 with a degree in newspaper journalism.